The remainder of the day flew by. He liked Blaine and Bethany, enjoyed swapping shop talk with them. Blaine shared his struggles with PTSD after several tours in Iraq, which made mental health especially poignant for him.
At dinner time, they joined two other LEOS they’d gotten to know throughout the day for dinner at a nearby restaurant, then returned for Friday’s closing session. By the time he entered the hotel, he was exhausted, even though it was two hours before his normal bedtime. All he wanted was to get to his room, take a hot shower, then call Maegan who should have been finishing up with her knitting circle.
He crossed the lobby and stopped when a familiar voice called his name, but he didn’t turn around.
“Judah,” the voice called again. “Is that really you?”
Sucking in a long breath, Judah sought composure before acknowledging the person. Several seconds later, he pivoted and confirmed the voice’s owner. “Grady.”
“I thought I saw you at the conference earlier, but I couldn’t make my way over to you.”
“The room was crowded. I almost didn’t get a seat.”
“I’m glad I ran into you. Do you have time to talk?”
Judah appraised the man in front of him. Former co-worker. Man with whom Alyssia cheated on him. Their paths had often crossed at the hospital, and while he felt genuinely bad for Grady, he also struggled to forgive him. For some reason, forgiving Alyssa had come easier, perhaps because she’d been dying. “It’s been an exceptionally long day, Grady. I’m not really up for a chat.”
“I get that, and I don’t blame you.” Grady shifted his weight from his right leg to the left. “I have no right to ask, but I’d really like to talk before the conference ends on Monday, and I go back to Virginia.”
“Virginia?” Judah arched a brow, unaware Grady had left Charlotte and North Carolina.
“My presence at the station became a liability after everything that happened. After Alyssa passed, I was asked to voluntarily step down. It was the right thing to do, and honestly, I needed to get away.”
“I know that feeling.”
“I hear you’re in Tennessee?”
“A small town called Dogwood Creek. It’s a good place to be,” he added, struck with a need to defend the town.
“I’m living small town life myself. It’s definitely different, but not bad.” Grady reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. “I don’t want to keep you, but please, give me a call this weekend sometime. My new number is on the card.”
Something in Grady’s eyes gave Judah pause. In all reality, they were long overdue for a hard conversation, and they may as well get it over with. “There’s a sign out front claiming the hotel has fresh coffee twenty-four hours a day. We could test it out. I never sleep well in a strange bed anyway.”
Gratitude reflected in Grady’s eyes. “I’m always game for coffee.”
They found the breakfast nook where the coffee was kept. Pleasantly surprised there were numerous options, Judah chose a dark roast.
Grady added cream and sugar to his Columbian blend. “Have you ever thought it odd we can drink coffee at any time of night and it won’t affect our sleep, yet it wakes us up in the morning and keeps us going all day?”
Judah laughed. “I think it comes with the law enforcement territory.”
“You’re probably right.”
The breakfast area had tables and booths to sit at, and Judah led them to a booth. He’d had enough of sitting on hard chairs for the day. They drank their coffee in silence, each finishing a cup and getting a refill before any more conversation happened.
“I owe you a long overdue apology,” Grady said, jumping right in. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I had no right to get involved with Alyssa while she was still with you. My feelings for her were real, but our relationship was all wrong. I knew better, but I was selfish, and I’m sorry. For disrespecting you. For how it was exposed. For all of it.”
“Apology accepted.” A weight lifted from Judah’s chest. Not because he’d finally received the long-awaited apology, but because he realized the apology didn’t matter. It didn’t change the outcome, and he didn’t need a declaration of contrition to forgive. He would never understand why Alyssa had to die, but he trusted in God’s goodness.
Grady narrowed his eyes. “Just like that? You don’t want to punch me or tell me what a scumbag I am?”
“What purpose would that serve?” Judah leaned back in the booth. “Alyssa and I were not meant to be. I wish things had gone differently and not ended so ugly, but we can’t change what it was. We can only move forward, and I realized tonight I’m genuinely happy with where my life is now.”
“I’m glad. You deserve happiness.”
“So do you.” Downing the last of this coffee, Judah composed his next thoughts. “For what it’s worth, I know you loved her.I would watch you with her at the hospital. Even though I was furious with you, I could see that you loved Alyssa in a way I never did, and my heart went out to you.”
“I did. I still do.” Grady blinked and breathed deeply. “But it still doesn’t justify what I did.”
